Breathing apparatus canister holder



Nov. 26, 1963 c. LEFFLER, JR, ETAL 3,111,947

BREATHING APPARATUS CANISTER HOLDER Filed June 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0 EM M 2m Wm v5 7 m5 A 2 w a E4 M 0 A mm M Y r B M 6 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ETAL ' c/waus L.LEFFLER,JR. BY M04145 emu/v ATTORNEYS.

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BREATHING APPARATUS CANISTER HOLDER Filed June 5, 1962 Nov. 26, 1963 c. L. LEFFLER, JR.) ETAL 3,111,947

BREATHING APPARATUS CANISTER HOLDER Filed June 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 /a 1 1 .5 i l .15 i I 7 INVENTORS cmfizis 4. LEFFLEA, J4. BY 71/04/45 2. CURAA/V United States Patent pliances Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 5, 1962, Ser. No. 200,280 Claims. (Cl. 12S191) Th s invention relates to the holders for replaceable chem cal canisters in breathing apparatus.

It 1s among the objects of this invention to provide a canister holder of simple construction, which can be quickly opened and closed, and which releases the canister when opened and clamps it in place when closed.

In accordance with this invention, a stationary base for a canister extends forward from the lower part of an upright back frame. In front of this frame is a normally upright lever-like cover that forms a chamber with the frame for receiving a canister. The lower end of the cover is pivotally connected to the opposite sides of the base on a transverse axis to permit the cover to be swung forward and down below the base to open said chamber. The cover normally is held in its upper position by manually releasable means. Above the chamber is a movable top member, to which the upper ends of upright side bars are connected. The lower ends of the bars are pivotally connected to the cover on a transverse axis below the first-mentioned axis. When the cover is swung down, it will push the bars upward to raise the top member in order to provide room for insertion of a canister between the top member and the base. Means are provided for restricting the top member to up and down movement when the cover is swung.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front view of breathing apparatus that include our canister holder;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, with the breathing bag shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the canister holder open;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section of the holder, taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VV of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the holder, with the side of a cover socket broken away to show the latch inside.

Referring to the drawings, a chest plate 1 is provided r with straps 2 and '3 for strapping it to a persons chest, and the plate supports a bel -lows breathing bag 4 that is connected near the top with the inlet of a valve housing 5 by means of a short flexible conduit 6. The top of the housing is provided with a combined inlet and outlet, to which the lower end of a breathing hose 7 is connected. The upper end of the hose is connected to a face piece (not shown).

Ri idly mounted on the central portion of the chest plate is the upright back frame 10 of a chemical canister holder. Projecting forward from the lower end of this frame is a supporting base 11 for the bottom of a canister 12, shown in broken lines in FIGS. 3 and 5, that has openings in its upper and lower ends. As shown in FIG. 5, the canister seats on a gasket 13 mounted in an opening 14 through the base, with the canister and base openings in mignment. The base opening opens into the upper end of a passage 15 that extends down through a vertical extension 16 on the bottom of the base and laterally through a short tube 17 connected with an opening in the lower part of the bag 4. The base extension pref- "ice erably is tapered downwardly and it is encircled by fins 18 for dissipating heat to cool the oxygen leaving the canister. Heat transfer is improved by providing the inside of passage 15 with eircumfcrentially spa-ced'vertical fins 19.

At the lower end of valve housing 5 there is a horizontal plate 21 that forms a top member for the canister. This member is provided with an opening 22 containing a gasket 23 that seats against the top of the canister around the top opening therein. The opening in the top memher is connected with the inside of the valve housing.

In front of the back frame It? and between top member 21 and base 11, there is a combination lever and cover, whereby a chamber is formed between it and the back frame. The lower end of the cover is pivotally connected to opposite sides of the base on a transverse axis. Preferably, the cover is formed from a transversely curved plate 25 provided at opposite sides with a pair of downwardly extending legs 26-, through which extend pivotal fasteners 27 that connect it to the base, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The legs extends down below the fasteners and are connected at their lower ends by another pair of pivotal fasteners 28 to the lower ends of a pair of upright side bars 29. The bars extend upwardly on opposite sides of the chamber and their upper ends are joined to top member 2 1. The cover serves as a lever when its upper end is swung forward and down, because the lower ends of the cover legs will push the side bars upward and thereby raise the top member relative to the back frame 16 as shown in FIG. 3. This movement is permitted because of the flexible connection 6 between the valve housing and the breathing bag. To help guide the top member in its up and down movements, the side bars are preferably slidably connected with laterally spaced arms 30 that project forward from opposite sides of the upper end of the back frame, with which they may be integral. Most conveniently, the bars slide in vertical passages 31 formed in the front ends of the arms by giving them the shape of flattened sleeves 32, as shown in FIG. 4.

The cover normally is held in its upper position by manually releasable means. Although such means may take various forms, as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferred to provide the opposite sides of the upper end of the cover with rearwardly opening sockets 35 that receive dogs 36 projecting forward from arm sleeves 32. Inside of each socket there is a pivoted latch 37 that engages the adjoining dog to lock the cover closed. The latch may be more or less Ushape, with a pivot pin 38 extending through its front part and with its lower part projecting out of the bottom of the socket. down by a leaf spring 39 extending around a retaining pin 4.0 in the upper part of the socket and compressed between the top of the socket and the top of the latch. To release the latches, their projecting lower ends are simply pushed upward into the sockets, which swings the upper parts of the latches up away from the dogs. The cover then can be swung outward and downward to raise top member 21 so that a canister between it and the base will be released. A new canister then can be set on the base and the cover swung up and closed to lower the top member onto the canister and clamp it in place with its openings aligned with the openings in the top member and the base. A cap remover 4 2 may be mounted on the bot-tom of the base in front of base extension 16 for removing sealing caps from the opposite ends of the new canister just before inserting it in the holder.

It will be seen that by simply swinging the lever-cover down, a canister can be removed or replaced. When the cover is swung back up, it snaps shut and clamps the canister in place.

We claim:

-1. A breathing apparatus canister holder comprising an upright back frame, a stationary base connected to the The latch is pressed lower part of the frame and extending forward therefrom, a normally upright lever-like cover in front of said frame forming a chamber between the cover and frame for receiving a canister, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the cover to opposite sides of said base on a transverse axis to permit the cover to be swung forward and down below the base to open said chamber, manually releasable means normally holding the cover in its upper position, a movable top member above said chamber, upright side bars secured at their upper ends to said top member, means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the bars to said cover on a transverse axis below said firstmentioned axis, whereby when the cover is swung down it will push said bars upward to raise the top member in order to provide room for insertion of a canister between said member and base, and means restricting the top member to up and down movement.

2. A breathing apparatus canister holder according to claim 1, in which said base has a depending extension, heat-dissipating fins surrounding said extension and joined thereto, said base and extension being provided with a passage therethrough, and circumferentially spaced fins joined to the inside of said extension and extending lengthwise thereof.

3. A breathing apparatus canister holder comprising an upright back frame, a stationary base connected to the lower part of the frame and extending forward therefrom, a normally upright lever-like cover in front of said frame forming a chamber between the cover and frame for receiving a canister, the cover including a transversely curved plate and a pair of laterally spaced legs extending downward therefrom beside opposite sides of said base, means pivotally connecting the legs to the base on a trans verse axis to permit the cover to be swung forward and down below the base to open said chamber, manually releasable means normally holding the cover in its upper position with said legs extending down below said pivotal means, a movable top member above said chamber, upright side bars secured at their upper ends to said top member, means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the bars to the lower ends of said legs on a transverse axis below said first-mentioned axis, whereby when the cover is swung down it will push said bars upward to raise the top member in order to provide room for insertion of a canister between said member and base, and means restricting the top member to up and down movement.

4. A breathing apparatus canister holder comprising an upright back frame, a stationary base connected to the lower part of the frame and extending forward therefrom, a pair of laterally spaced arms extending forward from the upper part of the frame, the front ends of the arms being provided with vertical passages therethrough, a nor mally upright lever-like cover in front of said frame forming a chamber between the cover and frame for receiving a canister, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the cover to opposite sides of said base on a transverse axis to permit the cover to be swung forward and down below the base to open said chamber, manually releasable means normally holding the cover in its upper position, a movable top member for said chamber above said arms, upright side bars slidably disposed in said arm passages and secured at their upper ends to said top memher, and means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the bars to said cover on a transverse axis below said firstmentioned axis, whereby when the cover is swung down it will push said bars upward to raise the top member in order to provide room for insertion of a canister between said member and base.

5. A breathing apparatus canister holder comprising an upright back frame, a stationary bottom support connected to the lower part of the frame and extending forward therefrom, a pair of laterally spaced arms connected to the upper part of the frame and extending forward therefrom, the front ends of the arms being provided with vertical passages therethrough, a locking dog connected to each arm and projecting forward therefrom, a normally upright lever-like cover in front of said frame forming a chamber between the cover and frame for receiving a canister, opposite sides of the upper part of the cover being provided with sockets receiving said dogs, means pivotally connecting the lower end of the cover to opposite sides of said bottom support on a transverse axis to permit the cover to be swung forward and down below the base to open said chamber, latches pivotally mounted in said sockets and engaging said dogs to normally hold the cover in its upper position, the latches being adapted to :be pressed manually to release them from the dogs, a movable top member for said chamber above said arms, upright side bars slidably disposed in said arm passages and secured at their upper ends to said top member, and means pivotally connecting the lower end of the bars to said cover on a transverse axis below said first-mentioned axis, whereby when the cover is swung down it will push said bars upward to raise the top member in order to provide room for insertion of a canister between said member and base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,181 Hamilton Nov. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 56,269 Norway Mar. 2, 1936 

1. A BREATHING APPARATUS CANISTER HOLDER COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT BACK FRAME, A STATIONARY BASE CONNECTED TO THE LOWER PART OF THE FRAME AND EXTENDING FORWARD THEREFROM, A NORMALLY UPRIGHT LEVER-LIKE COVER IN FRONT OF SAID FRAME FORMING A CHAMBER BETWEEN THE COVER AND FRAME FOR RECEIVING A CANISTER, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE LOWER END OF THE COVER TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BASE ON A TRANSVERSE AXIS TO PERMIT THE COVER TO BE SWUNG FORWARD AND DOWN BELOW THE BASE TO OPEN SAID CHAMBER, MANUALLY RELEASABLE MEANS NORMALLY HOLDING THE COVER IN ITS UPPER POSITION, A MOVABLE TOP MEMBER ABOVE SAID CHAMBER, UPRIGHT SIDE BARS SECURED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO SAID TOP MEMBER, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE LOWER ENDS OF THE BARS TO SAID COVER ON A TRANSVERSE AXIS BELOW SAID FIRSTMENTIONED AXIS, WHEREBY WHEN THE COVER IS SWUNG DOWN IT WILL PUSH SAID BARS UPWARD TO RAISE THE TOP MEMBER IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ROOM FOR INSERTION OF A CANISTER BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND BASE, AND MEANS RESTRICTING THE TOP MEMBER TO UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT. 